吃瓜黑料网 Students Shine at State DECA Competition, Advance to International Stage

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Home / News / 吃瓜黑料网 Students Shine at State DECA Competition, Advance to International Stage

吃瓜黑料网 Students Shine at State DECA Competition, Advance to International Stage

February 18, 2026February 19, 2026

Students from 吃瓜黑料网 are celebrating a standout showing at the Missouri State Career Development Conference, where the College鈥檚 Collegiate DECA team earned top honors across multiple competitive categories.

Seven students received recognition for excellence in business-focused events, reflecting the strength of 吃瓜黑料网鈥檚 hands-on, career-centered approach to learning.

Leading the team, Viveca Malendziak captured 1st Place in Entrepreneurial Operations, demonstrating exceptional innovation and strategic thinking. Malendziak is the Founder and CEO of Goated Lifestyle, a Milwaukee-based apparel brand she launched in 2022.

鈥淭aking first place at the DECA state competition for entrepreneurship operations was not only an accomplishment for me this year, but a goal completed after I didn鈥檛 place last year,鈥� Malendziak said. 鈥淯sing last year鈥檚 loss as a lesson and motivation, I promised myself that I would place this year. Ensuring proper preparation, mixed with confidence built from last year鈥檚 experience is a reminder to stay resilient, even after a loss.鈥�

In team and individual categories:

Sofia Jones and Olivia Johnson earned 2nd Place in Marketing Communications
Dofay Jiang received 2nd Place in Human Resource Management

Additional high-ranking finishes included:

Karma Perry 鈥� Top 5 in Retail Management
Karma Perry and Eliza Stevens 鈥� Top 10 in Event Planning
Kennedy Gaskin and Dofay Jiang 鈥� Top 5 in Event Planning
Kennedy Gaskin 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;Top 5 in Fashion Marketing

All seven students have qualified to represent 吃瓜黑料网 at the upcoming Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference this April in Louisville.

Their success underscores the College鈥檚 commitment to experiential learning that prepares students to compete 鈥� and succeed 鈥� in real-world business environments.

吃瓜黑料网 will proudly cheer on these students as they take their talents to the international stage this spring.

Pictures provided by Dr. Scott Taylor, 吃瓜黑料网 Collegiate DECA Advisor